Wire straightening machine



April 3, 1962 H. D. MITCHELL, JR, ET AL WIRE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3/ I? w 0 312/ O I p y h K T W r ATTORNEY April 3, 1962 H. D. MITCHELL, JR., ET AL 3,027,921

WIRE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E Q X;

a 2% Jfi 5/ f5- @7- W/l/l//////////J INVENTORS BY Z/S. M.

ATTORNEY United States Patent WIRE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Henry D. Mitchell, Jr., and Cody D. Williams, Winston- Salem, N.C., assignors to Western Electric Company, lrrcoll'porated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Filed Mar. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 798,703 Claims. (Cl. 140-147) This invention relates to a wire straightening apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for straightening the wire terminal of a ferrule assembly having a cap portion with a wire terminal extending therefrom.

In the manufacture of certain electrical components or articles of elongated form, such as deposited carbon resistors, it is oftentimes desirable to apply a ferrule assembly to the ends of such articles or components, the ferrule assembly comprising a cap with a wire terminal extending therefrom. It is requisite that the wire terminals be straight and uniform to aid in subsequent packaging or other handling of the article after the ferrule assemblies are placed on the article. For example, to straighten the axial leads of resistors after their manufacture or to supply an automatic capping machine which inserts ferrule assemblies onto resistor blanks, it is necessary to provide apparatus capable of quickly straightening the terminal wires of a great number of ferrule assemblies for presentation to the machine on an assembly line basis.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for straightening the wire terminals of a ferrule assembly prior to or after being placed on the ends of an article.

It is a further object to provide for quick and eflicient straightening of the wire terminals of ferrule assemblies before or after they are attached to the opposing ends of elongated objects, such as resistors, fuses, capacitors, or the like.

In accordance with the above-mentioned objects, apparatus embodying certain features of this invention includes a straightener roll rotatably mounted within a cylindrical member, and means for rotating the straightener roll whereby a wire inserted between the cylindrical member and the straightener roll will be rolled and straightened. Suitable recesses in the end of the roll and the cylindrical member form a circular groove around the longitudinal axis of the apparatus of sufiicient size to receive and support a cap portion of the ferrule assembly such that a wire terminal attached to the cap portion depends within the space between the roll and the cylindrical member. An inclined chute feeds ferrule assemblies to be straightened into a recess formed in the wall of the cylindrical member, at which time the cap portion of the ferrule assembly is received in the circular groove. Simultaneously with the latter action, the terminal wire extending from the cap is suspended in the space formed by the vertical side walls of the roll and the cylindrical member. A stripping finger fixedly positioned at a point about the periphery of the cylindrical member deflects the ferrule assemblies into an extractor chute which carries them to a subsequent work station or location.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a wire straightening apparatus which includes an escapement mechanism, a wire straightening device, and inclined chutes for transporting ferrule assemblies to and from the wire straightening device;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the escapement 3,027,921 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 mechanism and inclined chute with ferrule assemblies being intermittently fed from one portion of the chute to another;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an inclined chute taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating the manner by which a ferrule assembly is supported;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the escapement mechanism taken along line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the wire straightening device;

FIG. 7 is a sectional View taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6 showing the spatial relationship between the roll and the cylindrical member of the straightening device at the point where the ferrule assemblies are received from a slotted inclined chute; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken along line 88 of FIG. '6 showing a tapered wall portion of the cylindrical member;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 99 of FIG. 6 showing an expansion joint formed in the side wall of the second cylindrical member.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, a wire straightening device designated generally as 11 is mounted on a plate 12 which is secured to a support 13. An escapement mechanism 14, mounted above and connected to the straightening device 11 by an inclined slotted chute 15, feeds ferrule assemblies 16 one at a time by gravity to the straightening device 1 1 as they are received from a hopper 17. The hopper 17 is connected to the escapement mechanism 14 by an inclined slotted trough 18. The ferrule assemblies 16 include a cap 21 and a wire terminal 22 extending therefrom, and the cap 21 is received in a channel 23 and a passage 23a formed by the inclined chute 15 and the trough 18, respectively. The wire terminal 22 of the ferrule assembly depends through slots 24 and 24a in the inclined chute 15 and trough 18, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The escapement mechanism 14, FIGS. 2 through 5, comprises a circular rotary plate 25 having notches 26 mounted within a hollow cylinder 27 which is supported by the inclined chute 15 and trough 18. The rotary plate 25 is drivingly coupled to a vertically mounted shaft 28 supported in bearings 31 and 32 such that the shaft 28 extends through the rotary plate 25 and the cylinder 27. A speed reducer 33 driven by a motor 30 through a rod and chain belt coupling 34 is mounted on a support 35, and an output rod 36 of the speed reducer 33 rotates the shaft 28 through a chain drive 37 at the desired speed. As the rotary plate 25 rotates within the hollow cylinder 27 the ferrule assemblies 16 are gathered one at a time in the notches 26 of the rotary plate 25 and are carried to a point on the inner periphery of the hollow cylinder 27 where they slide into the slot 24 of the inclined chute 15 as shown in FIG. 5. The chute 15 then guidingly feeds by gravity each ferrule assembly 16, received one at a time therein, to the wire straightening device 11. An inclined receptacle 38 of the same structure as the inclined chute 15 and the trough 18 carry the ferrule assemblies 16 away from the wire straightening device 11 after the wire straightening operation to a next desired work station or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the wire straightening device 11 includes two arcuate upright segments 41 and 42 adjustably spaced on a slide 43 which is firmly attached to the plate 12. The segments 41 and 42 are arranged to slide together to form a hollow cylindrical member 44, with a portion of the sidewall removed. The slide 43 extends along the diameter of the cylindrical member 44 and between two diametrically opposed ad- 3 justing brackets 45 and 46 connected to the plate 12 by suitable fasteners 47. A notch 43, FIG. 7, formed in the base of each of the arcuate upright segments 41 and 42 receives the slide 43 and permits the inside diameter of the hollow stationary cylindrical member 44 to be adjusted by threaded members 51 and 52 which extend through the adjusting brackets 45 and 46, respectively, and into engagement with the outer surface of the armate upright segments 41 and 42, respectively. By adjusting the threaded members 51 and 52, the curved segments 41 and 42 will be moved toward one another and thereby reduce the inner diameter of the hollow stationary cylindrical member 44.

The adjoining edges 53 and 54 of the curved upright sections 41 and 42, as shown in FIG. 8, are toothed and interengage permitting the joint to expand when the diameter of the cylindrical member 44 is varied. A resilient spacer 55 is placed between the adjoining edges 53 and 54 of the segments to maintain a smooth joint in the inner wall of the cylindrical member 44.

Arcua-te shoulders 56 formed on the inner periphery of each of the arcuate upright segments 41 and 42 co-operate to form an annular shoulder 57 in the end face of the cylindrical member 44 and about its longitudinal axis.

A cylindrical straightener roll 58 having straight, flat sidewall surfaces 59 is rotatably and coaxially mounted within the outer stationary cylindrical member 44. The diameter of the cylindrical straightener roll 58 is smaller than the inner diameter of the stationary cylindrical member 44 so that the outer vertical sidewall of the roll 58 is spaced from the vertical inner sidewall of the outer cylindrical member a distance slightly less than the diameter of the wire terminal 22 to be straightened. It is to be noted that this distance varies by reason of the straight, flat sidewall surfaces 59 formed on the cylindrical straightener roll 58.

The diameter of an end portion of the cylindrical straightener roll 58 is reduced to form an arcuate shoulder 61 which opposes the annular shoulder 57 formed in the stationary cylindrical member 44 to form an annular groove 6'2 in the end of the Wire straightening device 11 of suflicient size to receive and support the cap 21 of a ferrule assembly 16.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, the cylindrical straightener roll 58 is rotatably supported Within the stationary cylindrical member 44 by a shaft 63 which extends through the roll 58, the slide 43, and the plate 12 and is supported within a bearing 49. The shaft 63 drivingly connects the speed reducer 33 to the drive rod and chain belt coupling driven by the motor 30. The speed reducer 33 is arranged to drive both the cylindrical straightener roll 53 and the shaft 28 of the escapement mechanism 14 so that the ferrule assemblies 16 are fed to the Wire straightener 11 in seriation at the proper rate of speed.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7, the slotted inclined chute 15 transports the ferrule assemblies 16 one at a time from the escapement mechanism 14 to a first point on the inner periphery of the curved upright segment 41. As shown in FIG. 8, a portion 64 of the curved upright segment 41 is tapered and forms a foreshortened inner sidewall 65 at a first point on the inner periphery of the stationary cylindrical member 44 so that the ferrule assembly 16 is gripped between the straightener roll 58 and the stationary cylindrical member 44 at a point just below the cap 21, permitting the portion of the wire terminal opposite the cap 21 to remain free initially, and then be progressively gripped downwardly throughout its length as the wire terminal rotates within the groove 627 The slotted inclined receptacle 38 is connected to the arcuate upright segment 42 so that a ferrule assembly stripping finger 66 formed on the receptacle extends into the circular groove 62.

Operation The ferrule assemblies 16 are supplied by means of a hopper 17 via a slotted inclined trough 18 to the escapement mechanism 14, and thence are fed to a chute 15 intermittently. The speed of rotation of the rotary plate 25 and the number of notches 26 formed therein are chosen so that the ferrule assemblies 16 are fed to the Wire straightening device 11 at the proper rate.

The ferrule assemblies 16, suspended by their caps 21 in the slotted inclined chute 15, are transported to the straightening device 11 at a first point on the inner periphery of the cylindrical member 44 at the mouth of the annular groove 62 whereupon the wire terminal 22 of the ferrule assembly 16 depends vertically against the side of the straightener roll 58, and, due to the rotation of the straightener roll, is carried around the periphery thereof. Due to the tapered portion 64 of the curved upright segment 41, the wire terminal 22 is initially gripped at a point just below the cap 21, leaving one end of the wire terminal 22 free at the mouth of the groove 62 Where the terminal enters from the chute 15.

The space between the stationary cylindrical member 44 and the cylindrical straightener roll 58 is slightly less than the diameter of the wire terminal 22 so that it is gripped firmly between the inner wall of the stationary cylindrical member 44 and the outer surface of the cylindrical straightener roll 53. This gripping pressure causes the wire terminal 22 to rotate on its own axis in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of the cylindrical straightener roll 58. Also, movement of the entire assembly 16 about the axis of the device 11 is effected. As the cylindrical straightener roll 58 rotates in the stationary cylindrical member 44, the wire terminal 212 of the ferrule assembly 16 is firmly and increasingly gripped along its length and rotated between the tapered wall portion 64 of the arcuate segment 41 and the straightener roll 58. Because of the tapered portion 64 of the curved upright segment 41, one end of the -wire terminal is free to move until all of the kinks and bends are removed, and the entire length of the wire terminal 22 is rolled between the stationary cylindrical member 44 and the cylindrical straightener roll 58. As the ferrule assembly 16 advances to a point opposite the inclined receptacle 38, the stripping finger 66 deflects the straightened ferrule assembly 16 into the inclined receptacle 38 where it is transported to a next desired position. The speed of rotation of the cylindrical straightener roll 58 can be adjusted to receive the ferrule assemblies 16 as they are fed one by one from the escapement mechanism 14 by the proper choice of gears in the speed reducer 33. Of course, the speed of the motor 30' connected to the reducer 33, may be adjusted to establish the desired rate of feed of ferrule assemblies 16 through the mechanism 14.

The straight, fiat sidewall surfaces 59 of the cylindrical straightener roll 58 permit the wire terminal 22 of the ferrule assembly 16 to depend freely between the cylindri cal straightener roll 53 and the stationary cylindrical member 44 during portions of its arcuate path within the wire straightening device 11. By removing the pressure from the wire terminal 22 in this fashion, the ferrule assembly 16 is permitted to align itself vertically in the wire straightener 11. This prevents twisting and jamming of the wire terminal 22 between the stationary cylindrical member 44 and the straightener roll 53 as they are straightened.

Wear of the surfaces of the member 44 and roll 53, which contact terminals 22, is compensated for by adusting the diametrically opposed screws 51 and 52 in the adjusting brackets 31 and 32 to cause the arcuate upright segments 41 and 42 to slide toward one another on the slide 43 and lessen the diameter of the stationary cylindrical member 44. Thus, the tolerance between the member 44 and the roll 58 is accurately maintained for rollingly contacting terminals 22. The resilient spacer 55 between the curved upright segments 41 and 42 is compressed during this operation, permitting the adjustment Without disturbing the uniformity of the, inner wall of the member 44.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangement is simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention, it being obvious that the invention may be positioned within planes other than the vertical plane as described hereinbefore by numerous other arrangements devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for strai htening the wire terminal of a cap and wire ferrule assembly which comprises a hollow member having a cylindrical inner wall on a vertical axis, a rotatable straightener roll having arcuate and flat sidewall surfaces alternately arranged thereon and mounted coaxially within and spaced from the cylindrical inner wall a distance sufficient to receive a wire terminal between the roll and the inner wall of tm member, said straightener roll and member each having a shoulder positioned facingly and adjacently to the spacing between the member and the roll to form an annular groove of a width to receive a cap therein, the groove bottom lying in a horizontal plane and divided by the space between the member and the roll, means for rotating the straightener roll to engage frictionally a ferrule assembly wire terminal inserted between the straightener roll and the member, the cap of the ferrule assembly being supportingly received in the groove formed in the end of the assembled straightener roll and member with the wire terminal depending in the spacing between the roll and the member whereby the wire terminal is intermittently rotated by frictional contact with the arcuate surfaces of the roll and the inner wall surface of the member and released to align itself vertically when between the fiat sidewall surface and the inner wall surface of the member to an extract point on the inner wall of the member, and means for removing the ferrule assembly at the extract point from between the straightener roll and the member.

2. Apparatus for straightening the shank portion of headed members which comprises a hollow member having a cylindrical and tapered inner wall on a vertical axis, the shortest length of taper occurring at a first point on the inner wall of the member, a roll having flat and arcuate surfaces coaxially and rotatably mounted within and spaced apart from the member, means formed on the member and the roll for supporting the head of the headed member with the wire positioned in the space between the roll and the member, means for rotating the roll to engage frictionally the shank portion of the headed member when supported in the space between the member and the roll at the first point on the inner wall of the member whereby the shank portion is intermittently rotated by frictional contact with the arcuate surfaces of the roll and the surface of the member inner wall and aligned vertically by depending freely from the head of the headed member in the space between the flat surfaces of the roll and the surface of the member inner wall and increasingly gripped along its length as the roll rotates, and means for removing the shank portion in the space between the member and the roll at a second point on the inner wall of the member.

3. Apparatus for straightening the shank portion of headed members which comprises a hollow member having a cylindrical and tapered inner wall on a vertical axis, the shortest length of the tape occurring at a first point on the inner wall of the member, a roll having flat and arcuate surfaces coaxially and rotatably mounted within and spaced apart from the member, means formed on the member and the roll for supporting the head of the headed member with the wire positioned in the space between the roll and the member, means for rotating the roll to engage frictionally the shank portion of a headed member supported in the space between the member and the roll at the first point on the inner wall of the member whereby the wire is intermittently rotated by frictional contact with the arcuate surfaces of the roll and the surface of the member inner wall and aligned vertically by depending freely from the head of the headed member in the space between the flat surfaces of the roll and the surface of the member inner wall and gripped increasingly along its length as the roll rotates, means for removing the shank portion in the space between the member and the roll at a second point on the inner wall of the member, and means connected to the rotating means for feeding the headed members to the first point on the inner wall of the member in a seriation at a rate correlated to the speed of rotation of the roll.

4. In a device for straightening headed wires, a roller having a fiat surface and an arcuate surface formed thereon, means for mounting said roller for rotation about a fixed vertical axis, a member having a cylindrical inner wall coaxially spaced from the arcuate and flat surface of the roller to provide a wire straightening passageway, the top surfaces of the member and the roll lying in a common horizontal plane, means for feeding headed wires into said passageway so that the wire extends into the passageway and the headed portion is supported on the top surfaces of the roller and the member to position the wire in the passageway, and means for rotating said roller to grippingly rotate and advance the wire in the passageway formed by the arcuate surface and the inner wall surface and into a portion of the passageway formed by a flat surface and the inner wall surface where the wire is released to depend freely for vertical alignment while the wire is supported in the passageway by the headed portion resting on the top surfaces of the roller and the member.

5. A device for straightening headed wires comprising a member having a cylindrical inner wall, a roll of noncircular cross-section rotatably mounted on a vertical axis within the inner wall of the member and spaced therefrom to form an annular passageway of a width in one portion slightly less than the diameter of the wire and of a width in another portion slightly more than the diameter of the wire, means formed jointly on the roll and the member for supporting the head of the wire with the wire depending vertically in the passageway, and means for rotating the roll to frictionally advance the wire in the one portion of the passageway for straightening the wire and to advance the wire into the second portion of the passageway for vertical alignment of the wire while supported freely by the head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,109,662 Cavanagh Sept. 8, 1914 2,622,654 Frank Dec. 23, 1952 2,860,686 Frank et al. Nov. 18, 1958 2,867,262 Ainsworth et a1. Jan. 6, 1959 2,878,841 Peterson et al. Mar. 24, 1959 2,935,097 Wohlman May 3, 1960 

